BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BRACES FOR POSSIBILITY OF NO NEW INDUCTEES

There’s a chance the podium under the chandeliers in the gold-and-ivory-colored Vanderbilt Room of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel will go unused.

With the cloud of steroids shrouding the candidacies of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and others, baseball writers may fail for the only the second time in more than four decades to elect anyone to the Hall of Fame, rendering a news conference unnecessary.

About 600 people are eligible to vote in the BBWAA election, all members of the organization for 10 consecutive years at any point. Results will be announced at 11 a.m. today, with the focus on first-time eligibles that include Bonds, baseball’s only seven-time Most Valuable Player, and Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

Since 1965, the only years the writers did not elect a candidate were when Yogi Berra topped the 1971 ballot at 67 percent and when Phil Niekro headed the 1996 ballot at 68 percent. Both were chosen the following years.

Also on the ballot for the first time are Sammy Sosa and Mike Piazza, power hitters whose statistics have been questioned because of the Steroids Era, and Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits. Curt Schilling is another ballot rookie.

More baseball

Alex Rodriguez is scheduled for hip surgery on Jan. 16. The Yankees third baseman could be sidelined until the All-Star break because of the injury, which was disclosed by the team last month.

• First baseman Adam LaRoche agreed to a two-year, $24 million deal to return to the Nationals.

• The Indians signed free agent left-hander Scott Kazmir to a minor league contract.

Cycling

Lance Armstrong has agreed to a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey where he will address allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career. It’s unclear if the interview at Armstrong’s home in Austin, Texas, has already been taped. The show will air at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 17 on OWN and
Oprah.com.

Sailing

America’s Cup officials have dropped plans for a warmup regatta on the Hudson River in New York in the spring so teams and organizers can focus on sailing’s marquee race this summer on San Francisco Bay.

NHL

Owners will vote today on the tentative labor agreement reached with the players’ union. If a majority approves, as expected, the NHL will move one step closer toward the official end of the long lockout that began Sept. 16. As of Tuesday afternoon, a memorandum of understanding of the deal hadn’t been completed, so the union has yet to schedule a vote for its more than 700 members. A majority of players also must approve the deal for hockey to return to the ice.

Boxing

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will decide the fate of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in late February. The 26-year-old Mexican fighter tested positive for marijuana in September after his first professional loss.